Apr 27
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Sultan tit, tit

Sultan tit feeding on a kill, Bhutan

The sultan tit (Melanochlora sultanea) is a large songbird (about 17 cm long) with a yellow crest, dark bill, black upperparts plumage and yellow underparts. The sexes are similar. The female has greenish black upperparts and yellowish throat. The young bird is duller than the adult and has a shorter crest. The male has the forehead and crown with the crest brilliant yellow; the whole upper plumage, sides of the head and neck, chin, throat, and breast deep black glossed with green, the edges of the feathers of the upper plumage with a metallic lustre, and the outermost tail-feathers tipped with white; lower plumage from the breast downwards deep yellow, the thighs barred or mottled with white. The recumbent crest is raised when the bird is alert or alarmed. In India, this species occurs in the lower ranges of the Himalayas from Nepal to the head of the Assam valley, the Khasi hills, Cachar, Manipur, the Kakhyen hills east of Bhamo, Arrakan, the Pegu hills, Karennee, and Tenasserim. This species does not appear to be found above 4000 feet of elevation. It extends down the Malay peninsula. It frequents the larger trees in small flocks. Diet is chiefly small invertebrates […]
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Apr 27
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, fauna, golden langur, Langur, Mammal, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Golden Langur family with baby, Bhutan

  Gee’s golden langur or simply the golden langur, is an Old World monkey found in a small region of western Assam, India and in the neighboring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan. It is one of the most endangered primate species of India. Long considered sacred by many Himalayan people, the golden langur was first brought to the attention of the western world by the naturalist E. P. Gee in the 1950s. The coat of the adult golden langur ranges from cream to golden; on its flanks and chest the hairs are darker and often rust coloured; the coats of the juveniles and females are lighter, silvery white to light buff. The golden langur has a black face and a very long tail measuring up to 50 cm (19.69 in) in length. Apart from their fur, Gee’s golden langurs are known for having long tails which can grow up to 39 inches long, even longer than their bodies, especially in males. They use these tails to swing from one tree to another. When they are alarmed, however, they will leap from tree to tree instead. The regions of its distribution are very small; the main region is limited […]
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Apr 27
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, green-tailed sunbird, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, sunbird

Iridescence of green tailed sunbird male

The green-tailed sunbird or Nepal yellow-backed sunbird is a species of bird found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, stretching eastwards into parts of Southeast Asia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. In southeast Szechwan and Yunnan, it lives in open mountain woods with moss-covered trees, from 1825 to 3350 meters elevation. Food thought to be small arthropods and nectar. Forages singly and in small, loose groups; often in canopy, but also at lower levels. Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon in NW & NC India but common in NE; widespread and common in Nepal; common in Bhutan; locally common in Myanmar above 1800 m. Widely distributed within suitable habitats throughout its large range, green-tailed sunbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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Apr 27
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, capped langur, Digitalfrescos, fauna, Langur, Mammal, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Capped Langur-Bhutan, Bhutan

The capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is also called as Bonneted Langur, Capped Leaf Monkey, Capped Monkey. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. They are arboreal and gregarious by nature. A herd of capped langur consists of 2 to 14 langurs led by a brawny male langur. They are herbivorous, ingesting leaves, twigs, buds and fruits. The capped langur is a large monkey, with males bigger than females. The face is black, with sharply contrasting paler, buff to reddish cheeks. The head is blackish with long, erect coarse hairs directed backwards in what looks like a cap, and hence the name. The dorsal colour varies from light ashy-grey to blackish. The outer side of the thigh and shoulder as well as the distal half of the tail is deep grey or blackish. The ears, palms, and soles are black. The colour of the ventral parts varies in the subspecies, ranging from cream to reddish. Infants are a uniform creamy-white, with a golden hue. The face, ears, palms, and soles are pinkish. The head […]
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Mar 16
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Satyr Tragopan, Tragopan

Satyr Tragopan male with lichen in background, Bhutan

The satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra) also known as the crimson horned pheasant, is a pheasant found in the Himalayan reaches of India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. They reside in moist oak and rhododendron forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps. They range from 8,000 to 14,000 feet in summer and 6,000 feet in winter. When it is mating season, male satyr tragopans grow blue horns and a gular wattle. When ready to display, they will inflate their horns and hide behind a rock, waiting for females to pass by. When one does, they will perform an elaborate and attractive display in front of the females. At the end of the display, the male will stretch to his full height and show off all of his ornaments. Females are brown. Males are usually red with blue, black, and white spots and freckles. Although the least threatened of the tragopans, satyr tragopans still face many threats. Diet comprises seeds, fresh leaves, moss, bamboo shoots, berries and insects. The species is thought to have a moderately small population that is subject to hunting and habitat loss throughout most of its range. It is classified as Near Threatened by IUCN.
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